These are the food that I make day by day. I write down the recipe as a way to improve my English writing skill as well as answer to friends' request. Please kindly critique and correct if you find any mistake.
Most of the food here are obvious enough that they do not require a written recipe.
Thank you for passing by.

Saturday, February 26, 2011

This was the first time disaster. It was the mother of the later success.

This is the candied orange sirop used in place of sugar.

This is the first time I made it right.

This is the final apricot version

Clafoutis with apricot and orange sugar

The other day, I wanted to make a cake, I mixed flower, butter, sugar and it came out very hard and rough.

Then I made it again.I blended one block of butter, 3 whole eggs, 1 cup of orange sugar which is the left over of making candied orange, 1 cup of whole milk yogurt, one table spoonful of vanilla extract, blend them for about 3 minutes then add in 1 cup of flower, and a sachet of levure. Blend everything until it comes into a smooth mixture.

On the other side, I opened the apricot into two parts and put about 6 of them into pot, adding two spoons of orange sugar sirop to cook in slow fire for about 10 minutes.

Lay the cooked orange on the bottom of the baking pan, pour in the mixture. Bake for about 5o minutes under 375. Then I got this.

Saturday, February 19, 2011

I was sick, so sick that I could not even get up to make food for my children. So it was actually Manu, the 11 year old who turned reheated the lunch for dinner on Wednesday, and boiled dumplings on Thursday. Friday, I could stand up, so I decided to teach or watch or do together with him a 火车面条, instant noodle soup.

The name 火车面条 comes from our family trip to China back in the summer of 2003. We whole family got together in Shanghai and we took train to Huangshan. In the Chinese train, the most typical food was instant noodle, it seems everyone was eating that, The whole train was infused in the hot spicy soysaucey smell. It was so tempting. Just as the boys wondering what everyone ate, there was a guy holding a bowl of hot noodle walking to his seat. Train had a little turbulence, his paper bowl dropped to floor with explosion of of that irresistible aroma. Then, I bought a bowl of instant noodle for Manu, went to fill in hot water section, covered, waited 3 minutes.

Then, Manu quietly, solemnly ate his noodle. It was so impressive that it gave birth of this name 火车面条 （Train noodle）as well as a life time memory.

From that day one, Manue has never eaten any noodle soup as delicious as that one. However, it is a sure rescue in time of hardship or emergency, such as when Mom is silk and dad is travel across the ocean.

Here is what I did today,

Boil a big bowl of water, about 3 cups,

add in instant noodle, and condiments pack, (half of the Korean spicy power)

Sunday, February 13, 2011

I am running out of tricks. I still have that tasteless romain salad, even orange can not save the boredom of eating the same thing 3 days in a row. So, I decide to put peanut butter in it to make a new dressing.

Saturday, February 12, 2011

Valentine weekend. Olivier is in Paris, messy house, two kids, Saturday morning in theatre for stage design. All calls for reason to celebrate myself. So, I checked internet, and found a recipe and made such.

Yesterday, I made a romain salad with queso fresco and cucumber. Some youtube friends suggest putting vinegars or lemon juice in salad. I do not like acid much. However, adding some garden orange will serve for its rich vitamin and sweet citrous flavor. So I picked up two oranges and made such.

Romain salad, queso fresco and garden orange

Leo did not want to eat the salad, but he wanted the orange. Same for Manu.

Olivier follows recipes unconditionally. He makes sure that our family can enjoy real authentic cuisine, such as this moule marinier. He has done this since I first went to Paris 15 years ago, the flavor has never change with time, nor continent (California, Brazil, Australia).

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Olivier bought some Costco apple slices. I do not like it, neither the boys. To avoid waste, I decide to candy them. Since I had the caramel from the orange preserve, I can use up that and make it orange flavored candied apple.